‘Occupy Wall Street’ a Blight on Main Street

“Occupy Wall Street” protesters claim to be fighting for the disenfranchised members of Main Street America. But their protests are exacting a significant toll on businesses in the cities where they have set up camp.

Oakland has been hit hardest. A week after “Occupy” protesters there rioted, vandalizing local businesses and clashing with police, city merchants say their sales are down by as much as 60 percent. “People don’t want to come downtown,” one business owner near the epicenter of the city’s protests told Mercury News.

“Things were good before the protests began,” the manager of another local establishment said. “Now it’s going to be hard to pay the rent.”

“People have lost 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent of their sales,” said another.

The violence and vandalism that have sprouted up at “Occupy” protests nationwide are, quite simply, not good for business. While much of it is incidental, a number of businesses perceived as hostile to the protests have been targeted with criminal acts.

Whole Foods Market in Oakland, for instance, had windows smashed and its exterior otherwise vandalized and spray painted.

But the damage done to Whole Foods pales in comparison to what two San Diego food vendors were forced to endure at the hands of “Occupy” protesters there.

A pair of Southland street cart vendors who were forced to shut down their businesses after “Occupy” protesters vandalized their carts are hoping to get some help from local residents…

Coffee cart owner Linda Jenson and hot dog cart operators Letty and Pete Soto said they initially provided free food and drink to demonstrators, but when they stopped, the protesters became violent…

“Both carts have had items stolen, have had their covers vandalized with markings and graffiti, as well as one of the carts had urine and blood splattered on it,” said Councilman Carl DeMaio. [Emphasis added]

Unable to do business under such conditions, both carts have closed shop.

Meanwhile, at Zuccotti Park, the epicenter of the “Occupy” movement, protesters have taken to threatening and occasionally assaulting business owners and managers who will not comply with their every demand. The New York Post reported on this troubling exchange:

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The Occutards are achieving their goal of 99% unemployment and 99% poverty. The Occutards have no sense of community or conscience or common sense. They are so filled with self-esteem and false self-worth, they think the world revolves around them and the world owes them a life of luxury. When life tells them "no" and "get a job and pay for it yourself", the throw a fit and steal and vandalize what other people have worked for and paid for.

You are right! Ever since "St. Ronnie" the liberals have used inflation to steal my savings, retirement, and children's college funds. It all goes to show, never trust a liberal with public money as they know nothing of "stewardship." Liberals steal other people's money to pay for their failed social engineering experiments either up front by taxing or covertly by inflating. Conservatives have a much better track record on stewardship and financial accountability. Remember, vote for a conservative candidate unless you want taxes on Christmas Trees!

In the last 30 years, who stopped you from working hard, working your way up the ladder, starting your own business, saving for retirement, etc.? I contend that any impediments to doing so were the result of too much Uncle Sam not too much Wall Street and maybe not enough hard work on your part. Just because some people have more than you doesn't mean they didn't earn it. That used to be the great thing about this country…anyone could go from poor to rich and many have done so. Stop counting your curses, and start counting your blessings, the blessings of liberty and living in the greatest country on earth.

yes I agree. not being part of the 1%, we haven't been able to get anywhere because of government overreach and yearly tax increasing and helping themselves to increased costs of their living with no consideration to their burdens of costs and lack of need for their existence. wasting my husbands money who would choose to provide for HIS family had it not STOLEN from his earned income check by government force, leaving ALL OF US with less! and because of government services, basic necessities like FOOD COSTS, ENERGY COSTS, ETC GOES UP! HOW IS THAT FAIR TO MY FAMILY, RAGNAR? don't let michael misfit moore close your mind to reason, Ragnar. You're cheating yourself…

No one has stolen anything from the middle class. What is represented at OWS is not the middle class. It is not the 99%. It is the liberal American's who believe they deserve because they exist. Get off your butt. Find a job. The middle class works for what they earn and we do expect you to do the same. One day Ragnar, if you have your way, there will be more takers than givers. What will you do then? It is amazing the moral decline of this society. I still teach my children about respect for the elders, nothing comes unless you are willing to work for it, nothing is given for free it is earned. It is a shame you weren't taught the same. This country is great because of hard work not because of entitlements and the gimme, gimme, gimme attitude of the OWS

The Occupy Movement is 99% detrimental to society in many aspects. A couple weeks ago, I tried offering a web design job to occupiers, and although it wasn't a glamorous high paying career, it was something. I have not found someone from that movement who is willing to work 2 weeks later… Isn't that what they are wanting? Jobs, Respect, a chance?
I support those who support themselves (or at least try to)

These many city administrators will reap, with the decline in Main Street economic activity, what they have sown, by acceding to the Occupy madness, a grand harvest of declining Sales Tax revenues. The budgetary impact will force them (or at least threaten) to lay off public safety employees, who have demonstrated during these protests that they are very good at "following orders" from City Hall, not so much at enforcing the law as determined by the voters in their jurisdictions, and shouldn't be missed.

The protest is rooted in a growing anger about the condition of our economy and our government and how it is all mixed together to get the mess we have now. The point is the anger is growing and the problems need to be addressed. We need to face the problems which are mainly the big business influence on our puppetitions (politicians). This mess is not the result of capitalism but theives who exploited others and our president says they may have done something immoral but not illegal. Clinton said it wasn't sex but it really is what it is.

America used to work. The people had work. The system worked. Hey, EVEN the Congress used to work…(sometimes). God knows, it was far, far, far from perfect – but at least we all had some share in the struggles AND the rewards. But somewhere along the way, we lost our way. And now we seem to have an economy and a political system that works only for the rich. What they call "trickle down economics"… just leaves most of us out in the cold cold rain. We need to get back to what America was, and what it should be, and what it can be. Occupy Wall Street is no longer just a place called Zuccotti Park – Zuccotti Park is everywhere. You can try to pen us in, you can beat us and arrest us, you can mace and tear-gas us , and you can try to "permit" us to death….but you can't kill an idea. You can't keep down a people’s hopes and dreams for a better life…..a life with dignity and freedom….for us… for our kids. More power to Occupy Wall Street, as it spreads to every town and city – because OWS is us, and for us, and by us. It comes up from the grassroots, and it lifts us up in turn. With OWS America has found it’s voice, and that voice demands fairness and justice. This land IS our land! AND WE WANT IT BACK! …We want our lives back!… We want our future back! ….So why not take some time, find a quiet place somewhere, and consider this: Each of us has only one brief life…one chance…and many choices. It’s time to choose…and to act. If not now…then when? If not you, then… who? You DO have the power my friend….and the choice is yours.

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